https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/1019/c90000-20509797.html
A mobile phone alert warns a community worker that no door activity has been detected at an elderly resident’s home for more than 24 hours. Another alert reports that a smoke detector has been triggered. The notifications come from smart devices installed in the homes of over 600 elderly people living alone, mostly aged 80 or above, in Luyang District of Hefei. The devices, including door sensors and smoke detectors, help community workers identify potential emergencies and respond more quickly.
The smart early-warning system is part of a government-funded elderly care program launched in 2025. The initiative is part of broader efforts to harness intelligent technologies and high-tech products to improve elderly care as China faces a rapidly growing elderly population. Official data shows that China’s population aged 60 and above exceeded 323 million by the end of 2025, accounting for about 23 percent of the national total population.
In addition to smart devices such as millimeter-wave fall detectors, the Shulu Community Service Center in Hefei high-tech zone has introduced a robot to assess the mental health of elderly people. Equipped with cameras and powered by large AI models, the robot analyzes facial expressions, eye features and subtle body movements, conducts noninvasive screening, and by combining these observations with physiological signals generates a report on a person’s mental state.
Anhui Sanlian Robot Technology Co., Ltd. has introduced its fourth-generation lower-limb exoskeleton, which uses AI to adapt the level of assistance according to users’ movements. The device can detect when users need extra support as they lift their legs and reduce assistance when they stop moving, allowing people with walking difficulties to move more naturally. The company’s exoskeletons were initially developed mainly for postoperative leg rehabilitation and activities such as mountain climbing. They are now used primarily in elderly care facilities, with demand increasingly shifting toward helping older people exercise their legs and improve everyday mobility, Wu said.
Smart technologies are also gaining ground in other Chinese cities. In Beijing, intelligent massage and companion robots are being used for physical therapy and companionship. Some nursing homes in Shanghai have adopted smart mattresses to monitor residents’ health, while virtual reality devices are being used for rehabilitation training among older people in Shenzhen.
The growing market is also driving more young entrepreneurs to tap opportunities in the elderly care industry. Liu Sizhe, an 18-year-old student at the University of Science and Technology of China, launched a startup this year and led a team in developing an AI-based system for preliminary screening for Alzheimer’s disease. Users can have casual conversations with the system via a mobile phone or a tablet, while the technology analyzes their speech rate and responses to identify potential signs of cognitive impairment.